Year of the Wind
by nyet khan
Summary: Two years after, its time for a new team to carry Seigaku's legacy. [mangacanon...and spoilers, as in I know what happens in Genuis 339, nya!]
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own it so there will be no talk of sueing. Got it?**

**A/N: After the Nationals, Ryoma left for America. Fast-forward two-years and Kachirou is captain, the tournament is drawing nearer, and it's his responsibility to hold up the legacy of Seigaku. With Ryoma back, Kachirou might just have what it takes.**

**1.**

It was an odd experience. The whispered comments and awe-filled gazes. The deference given, even by his own classmates (most of which hadn't even known who Kachirou was back in first year).

For a boy such as Katou Kachirou who was more used to being one of the crowd, his elevation as the object of girlish giggles and bright blushes was more than a little unsettling.

"That's Seigaku's tennis buchou!"

Kachirou didn't have to turn around to know they were pointing at him. He did however have to resist the urge to squirm uncomfortably. That certainly wasn't conduct befitting a buchou.

Kachirou knew he didn't have the commanding presence of Tezuka-buchou or the easy comradice of Momo-chan-buchou. He'd always been a good-natured presence that had never strayed too far from the acceptable and easily-dismissible.

Even having the honor of being a regular in second-year hadn't exactly pushed him into the light (not when his double's partner was Arai-senpai). It was entirely too easy for Kachirou to fade both within his own club and in the minds of rival schools when such volatile presences like Momo-chan-buchou, Kaidou-fukobuchou, and Arai-senpai had all at one time or another been one step from decking the opposition both before and after matches.

And it was exactly for those reasons that Kachirou found himself floundering for the reason Momo-chan-buchou had thought Kachirou of all people would make an appropriate selection as Seigaku next tennis club captain.

"_I know you'll have a lot of doubts—it comes with the territory, but you should always remember, Katou, no one cares as much about the tennis club as you do. Whatever decisions you make I know you'll make them for the good of the club."_

Somehow it was easier to have faith in those words when Momo-chan-buchou stood on the other side of the court, the two boys saying their goodbyes in a farewell match. A lot easier to believe when he didn't have expected stares and star-filled eyes peeking at him from behind corners. A whole lot easier when he didn't have an afternoon meeting with Ryuzaki-sensei to decide exactly who would face who in the upcoming intramural matches.

"You wanted to see me Matsuo-sensei?"

The classroom had a few early students discreetly chatting as they waited for the beginning of class but no one Katou was particularly acquainted with. As luck would have it his best friend Mitzuno Katsuo was in another class (perhaps unluckyly with Horio).

"Yes, Katou. There's a transferring student assigned to this class, if you could be his guide till he settles?"

And despite knowing Kachirou really shouldn't accept any more duties that would just bring about his nervous breakdown all that much sooner, he still smiled and said, "Hai, of course."

"Thank you, Katou; I'll assign him the seat next to you."

"Sensei, what is his name?"

Matsou-sensei frowned as he rummaged through his desk, looking for the attendance roster. "Aa…here it is, Echizen. Echizen Ryoma."

Unsurprisingly Katou was helpless as he tried to settle his suddenly dry throat.

_It wasn't unusual for the three freshmen to find themselves invited alongside the Regular members to a celebratory dinner. Considering the amount of time Kachirou, Katsuo, and Horio spent trailing them it would be odder had they not been invited alongside._

_Despite the fact that two of the three freshmen wouldn't even be competing officially till third year all the freshmen were just as much incoherent messes as the rest of the Regulars. _

_They had won the Nationals. _

_Through impossible dream, formidable teams, and worrisome injuries, Seigaku had won the Nationals. Taken the Championship from invincible Rikkidai. It had been their year. Their time to step into the light and show everyone exactly what determination could accomplish. _

_No one watching would ever believe there would be another team quite as unique—or eccentric—as that one. And for six of the acknowledged nine Regulars it was also their last year in Middle School._

_So they celebrated wildly and roaringly, manners forgotten in the face of such an impossible accomplishment. Kachirou knew no matter what repeat feat they might later accomplish, nothing would ever compare to that night. _

"…_who do you think will be the next buchou, nya?" Kachirou remembered Eiji-sempai asking Momo-chan-senpai, his own quiet presence allowing the two seniors to gossip unabashedly._

"_Who do you think it's between?" The tall second-year asked slyly, no doubt aware only he and Kaidoh-senpai had ever made a showing as Regulars among the second years. _

"_You never know," the acrobatic player teased. "Buchou's always broken the rules for Ochibi."_

_Together both turned to stare at the first-year quietly stuffing his face, one with a look of glee of his face and his younger classmate sporting one of horror. _

"_Hn?" Echizen quirked an eyebrow at his strange senpais._

_Kachirou knew if not for his age there would be no question whatsoever over who would succeed as buchou. Despite his anti-social tendencies, Echizen would in fact be their strongest player next year and definitely one of their more knowledgeable ones. If the young boy ever bothered to impart the numerous styles gleaned from a childhood seeped in tennis on the rest of the club, there was the potential to build another National-level team._

"_Like I'd call him buchou!" Momo-chan-senpai protested._

_Echizen just gave his two senpais an annoyed look before returning to his meal. Eiji-senpai just laughed at the looks of dismay Momo-chan-senpai and Kaidoh-senpai seemed to give their oblivious kouhai._

_It wasn't till most of the club had already left with the exception of the Regulars and some unnoticed first years that Tezuka commanded their attention._

"_We came a long way thanks to everyone's willingness to give their all both to the tennis club and to their teammates. And while for most of us official matches have ended for the next few months and most of our time will be dedicated to bringing up the skills of the second and first years I don't need to remind all of you not to get careless. Tonight is the culmination of all our handwork and the night many of the Regular members pass on their position to the next year, we leave our legacy in the hands of Momoshiro and Kaidoh and trust they will continue their hard work."_

_As Tezuka paused, Kachirou found his eyes drawn to the bowed head of Echizen. Tezuka-buchou didn't make mistakes, not when they involved the tennis club._

"_Nya…what about Ochibi?"_

_Tezuka-buchou glanced silently to the young boy, seemingly all the response he was willing to give._

_Eiji-senpai had never been one to be ignored. "Ochibi! Ochibi! What does buchou mean by that?"_

"…_Echizen?" Was the more hesitant question asked by Momo-chan-senpai. The first year raised his hand to tug at an absent cap before lowering it half-way. _

_The rest of the Regulars waited expectatively. After eyeing the exit and thinking over his chances on a quick escape (small to begin with—both Inui-senpai and Fuji-senpai had conveniently drifted over to block his exit), Echizen sighed. "…I'm returning to America."_

_Silence._

"…_Nya?! Why?"_

"_They waited this long to let us finish the National Tournament."_

"_Not that! Why are you leaving?" Oishi asked anxiously._

_Echizen scowled sullenly, forever the brat. "My family's…"_

"_What?" Momo-chan-senpai choked out. _

"_It doesn't matter." Echizen said with rising irritation._

"_Of course it matters!" Momo-chan-senpai scolded._

_Echizen gave the other boy a bored glance, making it clear what he thought over the whole subject._

"_Saa…when can we expect your departure?" Fuji-senpai finally interjected, stepping in between the easily-riled Momo-chan-senpai and the subject of his vexation._

_Echizen eyed Tezuka-buchou somewhat resentfully. "Two weeks."_

"_Two weeks?!"_

"_Will…will you be back?" _

"_Who knows." Echizen sighed before divulging something more. "My…aunt is ill."_

_The Regulars eyed each other. The end of their era had come from an unexpected source months earlier than predicted. _

_Echizen had been an unknown opponent, an unplanned ninth edition that should have fractured the eight member nucleus. Only he hadn't; rather he'd been the push to wake Inui and Kaidoh, the pillar that had held Seigaku in Tezuka's absence. And now he was leaving._

_Echizen shifted uncomfortably. "Whatever. I'm going home. See you Monday."_

"_Uh…Wait! Echizen, I'll walk with you."_

_The younger boy gave his senpai an odd glance. "Don't you want to stay? This is a free meal…"_

"_Let's go, I'm full."_

_Echizen and everyone there gave Momo-chan-senpai an incredulous look. No one believed him but after a moment Echizen merely shrugged, "Whatever."_

_Awkwardly Kachirou remembered excusing himself along with Horio and Katsuo, all of them suddenly aware of the tense air present as the Regulars exchanged looks._

_Most had already figured Echizen would never have actually divulged even that much information. It would have been typical for Echizen to have announced his departure the day he left, almost as an afterthought. Unfortunately for him Horio had been among the newly informed. Unsurprisingly it only took till the end of Monday for the rest of Seigaku's tennis club to be in the know. _

_It wasn't long after that that Echizen left to America, with only an occasional tidbit of news filtering from Momo-chan-buchou on down to the rest of the club the following year._

"Katou! If you could complete the problem on the board?"

Kachirou flushed lightly, refusing the urge to duck his head. He wasn't one to usually day-dream. Soft snickers followed him and he had the very real suspicion it wasn't the first time the teacher had called him.

Nervously he eyed Echizen, half-relieved and half-annoyed to find the other boy's glazed eyes starring out the window. That was the moment he remembered one other thing about Echizen Ryoma besides his tennis skill and ability to taunt most everyone he met—Echizen Ryoma was annoyingly perfect. And he very much doubted he as a third-year could have measured up against the specter of freshman Echizen much less a newly-returned third-year.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: yeah, yeah. I know.**

**2.**

"Aa…Echizen?"

"Hn?"

"I'm…meeting Katsuo and Horio for lunch. Do…do you want to come?" Kachirou asked nervously, feeling oddly like one of the many girls trailing after him with home-made lunches.

Olive-gold eyes looked at him from under a mess of dark bangs. "I'm going to take a nap. Another time."

"Aa, sure. Will you be at tennis practice?"

A moment after he asked Kachirou knew it was a stupid question from the look Echizen gave him. The boy had _lived_ for tennis.

"Oh…I'll see you later then."

"Whatever…" Echizen paused for a second, seemingly debating something. "…Congratulations on making buchou."

Kachirou knew he was blushing, in those few seconds loosing his hard-won composure. "T-thanks."

"Later."

"This year is going to be awesome!"

Kachirou picked out Horio's excited chatter from the lunch-line. Around the third-year, other students tolerantly avoided flying hands. It was probably a good thing Horio was one of the strongest boys in their year, that and the fact most second and first years had enough respect to defer to their senpai was probably the boy's saving grace.

"Horio…" Katsuo said helplessly.

"No worries!" Horio dismissed. "Look! Our buchou's coming!"

Kachirou nearly blushed when several heads swiveled to see him walk by. Seigaku's tennis club reputation had always been big; it had only grown after Seigaku won the Nationals.

"Katsuo, Horio."

"Kachirou," Katsuo welcomed with a harassed expression. "Horio is being—"

"You shouldn't call buchou by his given name! It doesn't show proper respect."

"But-But I've always called Kachirou, Kachirou."

"What's everyone going to think? Nothing good, I tell you."

"We're best-friends!" Katsuo protested helplessly.

"Horio, we've been best-friends for a long time. I think it's alright for Katsuo to call me by my given name."

"If you say so…" Horio muttered. "Anyway, have you divided everyone into their blocks yet?"

Kachirou looked down, hands busy unwrapping his chopsticks. "Not yet. Aa…there's also a third-year transfer who's going to try out for the club. It's pretty much a guarantee he'll make it onto the Regulars."

"I don't know about that. Seigaku Regulars have always had a reputation of being pretty tough."

"Somehow…I don't think that'll be a problem."

"Well, with my four years of tennis experience, I'm practically guaranteed a Regular position."

"Horio…you shouldn't say such things." Katsuo sighed quietly.

"_Whyyy?_ We have a pretty good idea what the line up is going to be anyway. There's us already, there's Narita Shoichi…Hayashi Yoshimitsu and Maeda Yukito. From second year there's our ace, Hara Dai, and Ito Akiyama. How many is that? Eight! All we have to do is train at least two good stand-ins and we're set."

"He does have a point about stand-ins." Katsuo agreed.

"We'll find some." Kachirou assured. "Our school always has the worst luck—someone always ends up doing physical therapy. Remember Nakamura-senpai and how he broke his leg the day before the Kantou Semi-finals?"

"Yeah," Horio lamented. "We lost to Fudomine."

"Fudomine is definitely in trouble this year; nearly their whole line-up graduated."

"You hear who made Fudomine captain?" Kachirou asked Horio, fully expecting a correct answer. Even as a first year Horio had loved gossip, fortunately he'd made the graceful transition into data-gathering.

"You remember last year's ace, Yuri Kyoshi? The one they brought in to replace Tachibana after he graduated?"

"Him? Fudomine's going to _be_ trouble."

"I think…we'll have a King in our own deck, or the very least a Prince." Kachirou said softly, ignoring the question Katsuo gave him as Horio moved on to another subject.

"What did you mean before?" Katsuo whispered when Horio got up to throw his lunch away. "About us having a…prince?"

Katsuo like Kachirou had only ever associated one person with the word prince. A first-year boy who'd faced the monsters of the junior circuit and emerged triumphant.

"Echizen Ryoma is in my class."

"E…Echizen? He's…back?"

"Yeah."

"Wow…are you going to tell Horio?"

Kachirou hid a smile. "Wouldn't want Horio to be distracted all day long. He'll find out about it with the rest of club."

"But now I'll be distracted." Katsuo complained somewhat petulantly as they joined Horio.

"Distracted by what?" Horio asked as he joined them.

"Nothing, don't worry about it. See you in tennis practice later." Kachirou cheerfully said as the trio separated back to their respective classes.

TBC…

AN: Yes, say hi to the OCs and no, they won't be ridiculously better or horribly bad either.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: yatta, yatta, yatta**

**Author Warning: I'll only say it once. Spoilers for latest Manga chapters (as in I know what happens in Genius 339) **

**3.**

"Uh…freshmen. I can't remember ever being that tiny." Narita complained as he shuffled completed applications into a folder to turn into Ryusuki-sensei.

"I feel bad for them," Kachirou defended to his vice-captain. "They'll be doing nothing but drills till the summer. Don't you remember back in first year? You get to watch the senpais play amazingly and you're stuck doing swings and push-ups."

"Builds character…how else do you explain Horio?"

"Narita…" Kachirou sighed.

"So buchou, everyone's been asking, are the blocks complete?"

"…almost."

"You'll have to do it soon buchou. We need to form the team that will face off in the districts."

"I know…Echizen?"

Kachirou turned to the slender figure of the third-year. Curiously he glanced at his vice-captain. Narita hadn't become seriously involved in the tennis club till after he was allowed to participate in the ranking matches and by then the third-years had retired and Echizen was gone.

It wasn't to say Echizen Ryoma hadn't been a commotion packed into a tiny body, but more than a year had passed and Echizen had never interacted all that freely with the freshmen. As it was the third-years were hard pressed not to lose to the tiny first-year; there hadn't been anyone his own age Echizen had found interesting (or anyone that was brave enough to catch his interest—at least not in their club).

"Sign-up?" Was all the boy said, and really Kachirou couldn't have exactly expected more.

Echizen Ryoma's second turn at Seigaku's tennis club began with a lot less fanfare than his first; his blank face still gave the air of arrogance and petulance. A little taller than last time but even back then there hadn't been much of a hope he'd ever see Inui-senpai in the eye. Still, Kachirou could tell Ryoma would never be one to fade into a crowd, even when he wasn't a head shorter than the shortest person.

Kachirou couldn't help but feel a twinge of resentment before dismissing it entirely. He was buchou and that meant it was his responsibility to look after the tennis club, and even with such a challenge both to himself as a player and as a person he would to the best he could.

"Right here. You're just in time; ranking matches are scheduled for tomorrow."

"Is that so."

"Aa…I'm not sure if you remember but this is our vice-captain, Narita Shoichi. Narita, this is Echizen Ryoma. Echizen wasn't here last year but he was a first-year at Seigaku."

"Oh…" Narita frowned, "You look familiar; were you part of the tennis club?"

"Yes."

"Narita, I'm not sure if you remember but Tezuka-buchou allowed Echizen to participate in the ranking matches back when he was a first-year…"

"…And he made Regular. What was it? That 'rookie Regular', went undefeated or something like that…and…wasn't Fudomine's Ibu mumbling something about Echizen when he had the match against Momo-buchou?"

Kachirou sighed. "As was Rikkidai's Kirihara…and we didn't even face them."

Echizen's shrugged before turning away.

Narita shuffled the newest application into the appropriate folder. "Didn't Ibu also mumble something about Echizen being 'incredibly rude'?"

"You remember that?...hehe." Kachirou smiled helplessly.

"I suppose it doesn't matter as long as Echizen is good enough to play doubles or even Singles 3."

"You never saw him play, did you?" Kachirou accused weakly.

He hadn't thought about this after being so focused on Echizen in general and how much chaos the boy inevitably brought. He knew Echizen was good enough to compete head-to-head with the best players in the junior circuit (more so now that he could actually look some of them in the eye). He'd been so focused on the fact that he'd forgotten…very few current junior players had _seen_ him play.

It wasn't all that common for freshmen to tag along to the matches (at least if the name of your school was something other than Hyotei), not when most were hazed as ball-boys for months. Back then Kachirou, Katsuo and Horio hadn't even cared about their less than glamorous duties. It had been more than enough to see one of their own competing against the monsters even their senpais were wary of.

"I don't remember. I just recall us loosing both our buchou and fuku-buchou to injuries."

Kachirou sighed, glancing around to make sure they were alone. "Narita, you're my vice-captain, so when I tell you this believe me that I am serious. Echizen is…_good_. Good as in he defeated Rikkidai's Sanada, nicknamed the Emperor; good as in defeating Hyotei's Atobe, nicknamed the King—two of the best players in the junior circuit and that was back when he was a first-year."

"You _do_ know I haven't a clue who Sanada or Atobe are?"

"…Never mind. You'll see for yourself. Let's just go turn in these sheets to Ryuzuki-sensei."

Kachirou sighed. Were his Regulars really that oblivious to the monster he just let loose in the ranking matches?

**TBC…**

A/N: Narita doesn't know Echizen based on the assumption that Regulars really don't have anything to do with freshmen during tournament season, Ryoma having left at the end of Nationals. Besides, I think Momo and Kaidoh didn't recognize Yamato-buchou (Tezuka's captain) in the anime. Either way it's convenient for me and I'm not changing it so, Nya:)


	4. Chapter 4

**Dislcaimer: nya, nya.**

**A/N: Higa is the first school Seigaku faces in the Nationals.**

**4.**

Kachirou wished they wouldn't look at him like they didn't know what was going on. He wished there was a little more understanding and a little less disbelief in their faces. It had originally been an easy bet to see who would wear the Seigaku jerseys.

While there had been a couple of players that could no doubt be trained up to act as replacements, the line-up had more or less been decided months ago. And while tradition had been broken it was still highly unlikely for any incoming freshmen to be invited into the ranking matches. So it had been completely unexpected when what should have been an unremarkable match against a transfer student had turned into such a one-sided battle by said student.

Kachirou wouldn't pretend that he didn't posses a case of Echizen hero-worship, one that had been born back in their freshman year. He remembered Echizen's style, his confidence (arrogance), his presence (taunting or otherwise), and his perceptiveness (something that always seem to surprise the other Regulars even after proving he wasn't just another oblivious freshman). He also remembered Ryoma's most blatant weaknesses and all too often his most easily exploitable. At 12 years, 151cm, Ryoma had neither the height to easily reach both sides of the court nor the strength to come up against a power player. The limits of his height had been offset by his speed but strength could only come as his body developed, something that had hindered two memorable matches against Rikkidai's Sanada and Higo's Big Bang. Though Ryoma was still growing, his natural strength was a world different from what it had been back in first year.

So it came back to what Kachirou was seeing being played out right before his eyes. Ryoma hounding and cornering Maeda, chasing the taller and stronger boy till the latter was utterly clueless on what weakness he'd even thought to exploit.

Kachirou could only remain impassive, dousing whatever favoritism he might have. He'd drawn up the blocks in the manner he thought best, fully knowing the end result.

Ever since last years Regulars had retired, most everyone that would be part of the new team had stepped up and made themselves known. Even still Kachirou knew his team still had a lot of work left to do. He'd seen it every year…and he'd seen every player stumble at least for a second the moment they realized there were monster out there, players with the abilities to absolutely crush you if you did not _evolve _(and the occasional demon who would crush you just because they could). And perhaps that was the biggest lesson Echizen left behind, besides a legacy of powerful plays and a brilliant mind, still raw with experimentation. Evolution was Echizen's trade-mark, that and bulldozing ultimate techniques.

"Maeda Yukito vs. Echizen Ryoma, serve to Maeda!"

"_That Echizen, he probably did more to jumpstart Tournament season than any match could have. The Viper won't admit it but he worked like a madman to prove to Echizen that he wasn't someone to be forgotten, pushed Inui-senpai to reach the top by showing him how easily one could be toppled. He pushed Taka-san and Fuji to fight for Seigaku, to want the victory for the team." Momo-chan-buchou had said one afternoon, Kachirou sitting across from him and trying to ignore the fact he was eating outside of school with a senpai._

So Kachirou was hoping Echizen in his own taunting manner, would ignite Seigaku's fires. It didn't matter how many times you won matches against the players in your own club, if you couldn't overcome the unknown you failed the very first time you faced someone you didn't predict. And Echizen, if he was anything, was unpredictable.

"_Game to Echizen, 0-1!"_

"He broke Maeda's serve…" Hayashi muttered next to Kachirou, another Regular that had since then been slated to Singles 3.

"Maeda won't even have a chance of winning if he doesn't take Echizen seriously." Katsuo added quietly from besides Kachirou.

"He won't win." Kachirou said. "And it will be for nothing if Maeda doesn't learn anything from this match."

"And what's that?" One of their second-years, Ito Akiyama, asked, still sweating from a match just finished.

"If your mind can't recover from a physiological attack, you're finished even before you've started."

"What do you mean?"

Kachirou didn't look at Ito, well-aware that this lesson was also meant for the second-year. "A buchou of mine once said tennis was a battle of skills, techniques, and mental strength. They are all battle-fronts and if you should falter even in one then your opponent gains an advantage."

"_Game to Echizen, 0-3!"_

"Wow…Maeda's in trouble…"

Hayashi snorted. "That idiot wouldn't even have been a challenge back in Echizen's first-year."

Hayashi seemed to be among the few who did recollect just how good Echizen could be (the scary thing being Echizen had yet to pull out even one of his special techniques).

Ito looked uncertainly at the match and back again at his senpais. "But Maeda is a good player. I mean…he beat Rokkuku's Watanabe in a practice match."

"He did," Katsuo agreed softly and almost with a kind pity. "But Maeda and Rokkuku's Watanabe had been rivals since they participated in the Newcomers Tournament. They know each others style, they've regularly faced each other in street tennis courts. Maeda knows little if anything about Echizen and Echizen isn't the type of player to be defeated by someone with mere good skills. Placed in that situation if Maeda doesn't find the will to struggle, he will simply fumble his way into a defeat."

"I want to play him." Ito announced, oblivious to the amused looks his senpais shared.

"You won't." Hayashi pointed out bluntly. "You aren't in the same block. In fact…the only other Regular that will be facing Echizen is Horio."

"Aa…buchou? Does Horio know yet?" Katsuo asked dubiously.

Kachirou bit the smile that wanted to form. "No, not yet. I thought it would be distracting if he knew he would be facing Echizen."

"_Game and Match to Echizen, 0-6!"_

"He'll be a Regular, neh?" Hayashi observed as a panting Maeda collapsed against the far tennis fence.

"He never stopped being." Kachirou corrected, smiling despite himself as Echizen took a drink from his water-bottle. He'd forgotten how watching Echizen play had always been consuming, that bright fire which Echizen painted his matches with. "I assume all of you have finished your matches?"

"Aa…gotta go buchou!" Ito yelped, Hayashi shrugging as he followed at a more leisurely pace.

Kachirou stayed in place as the rest of the Regulars disappeared to their respective matches. He watched the bowed figure of Maeda, watched his harsh breathing gradually settle, he even kept watching as a silent presence joined his. And finally he saw what he had been hoping for. Maeda straightened, grip tight on his racket, trembling hand carefully checking the string tension.

"What did you see?" Kachirou finally asked his silent companion.

"…His natural style is defensive, good support for a doubles attacker with too many holes in his play, and he has the potential to instinctively plot the pace of the match."

"Thank you, Ryoma."

"Hn." The other grunted as he wandered away, oblivious to the way club members fell silent and watched him with a confused sort of air and the way potential Regulars seemed to study him.

And perhaps not so oblivious, Kachirou thought, as Ryoma pulled his cap even lower to shade too sharp olive-eyes.

He'd forgotten what it meant to be Echizen Ryoma. Or perhaps...he'd never really known. Because this time around there wasn't a Momo-chan-senpai to laugh more loudly than the silence.

Kachirou had never had to deal with a prodigy.

TBC...


End file.
